East Suffolk

East Suffolk's population grew in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in average age, religion and work life.

The population reached nearly 240,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of East Suffolk increased by 5.3%, from about 227,000 to 240,000.

The addition of about 12,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, East Suffolk was home to, on average, 1.4 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was similar to the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older East Suffolk

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of East Suffolk increased by four years, from 42 to 46 years.

This coastal area had the third-highest average age in Eastof England and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just under 9,300 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 6,000.

About 14% of people in East Suffolk are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and East Suffolk by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in East Suffolk

The number of people in East Suffolk that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 36,000 in 2001 to about 70,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 16% to 29% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in East Suffolk that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 170,000 in 2001 to about 150,000 in 2011 (from 75% to 62%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation remained close to 18,000 (7.5%)

About 1,000 people (0.3%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from just under 630 in 2001 (0.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in East Suffolk increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and East Suffolk by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in East Suffolk working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 15% to 12% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 30 (3.4%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.3% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 15% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in East Suffolk decreased by 3.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in East Suffolk, Eastof England and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in East Suffolk

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in East Suffolk, but at a slower rate than in nearby Norwich.

In East Suffolk, the proportion of single people increased from 23% in 2001 to 26% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Norwich increased from 40% to 47%.

Across Eastof England, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 27% to 31%.

The proportion of married people in East Suffolk fell from 57% to 53%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 11% to 12%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of East Suffolk residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.6% to 5.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (80%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67% in 2001. The percentage of East Suffolk residents that described their health as fair decreased from 24% to 15%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 7.6% in 2001 to 4.7% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in East Suffolk decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in East Suffolk, Eastof England and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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